The Brioche Tart That Made Julia Child Cry

As I am writing this post, first snow of the year is hitting the streets of İstanbul. It was the only thing missing at our New Year’s Eve dinner party.

I baked two desserts for the occasion: “Chocolate and Chestnut Buche de Noel” and “The Brioche Tart that made Julia Child Cry” (recipe below). Can you believe that name? I didn’t watch that specific episode, but apparently in one of the “Baking with Julia” episodes, she cried after having a bite of this tart. None of us cried at the dinner table, but it sure was delicious.

Careful eyes would instantly spot that there is something missing in these pictures… Did you? Yes, the turkey! By the time we dug into the bird and tore it into pieces, I realized that I didn’t take a photo. And then it was too late.

Here is the famous Brioche Tart. The original recipe calls for custard baked together with the brioche. I substituted the custard with chocolate ganache. You can find the original recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s award-winning book “Baking with Julia”. My version is at the end of this post.

* Do not scale down the recipe. Instead, prepare it as is, and if you plan to bake this tart only, freeze the other half. You can always thaw it in the refrigerator 1 day prior to baking one of the following:

First, prepare the ganache so that it cools down and thickens until the Brioche is done. In a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Wait for a minute, then stir gently until the chocolate melts completely. Let cool under room temperature.

Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan (or a tart pan). Roll out your dough into a 12 inch circle. Press the cake pan on top and cut a 9-inch circle. Place that piece of dough on the bottom of the pan and roll the remaining dough into 10 small balls. Place them on top of the bigger piece, leaving half an inch between the balls.

Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and let rise under room temperature for 2-3 hours.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg together with water. Brush the top parts with the egg wash (and be careful not to deflate).

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

When cooled, remove the Brioche from the pan and transfer to your serving plate. If you’re using a cake stand, it helps to brush the center of the stand with some ganache to secure the tart.

At this point, the ganache should be thick enough to pour in the center of the Brioche tart. If not, transfer it into the refrigerator until it reaches desired thickness.

Comments

1 - Amanda on
January 4th, 2008

I think that if I had the chance to taste this dish, I’d probably cry too! I am not brave enough to try this out yet, but hopefully someday I’ll muster up the courage. Great shots too, your pictures look beautiful.

Dear Cenk, I just missed the snow then. Looking at the pomegranates in your picture it reminded me of how big and delicious the pomegranates are in istanbul. I love brioche. Have to check this recipe out. Your pictures are amazing. As usual. feast to the eye and soul.

Happy new year Cenk!All the best to you and yours.
The pictures are gorgeous. I love the light and the table setting (and everything on the table!)
It may sound like a stupid question, but is christmas in Turkey as much commercialized as it is in Europe or elsewhere?

I love that you forgot the turkey picture — too funny! I’m getting lost on your blog for the first time after taking “just 5 minutes” to read the SF Chron food section here at my desk before I get to work (tech…totally not as fun as food) — now it is 10:30, yikes! I’ll be back. Your site is beautiful and it is always a pleasure to meet another baker.

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